Top 15 Players according to EspnFC
15. Joshua Kimmich
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 27
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
He is the heart and lung of Germany's midfield. Kimmich rarely breaks under pressure, which makes him hard to separate from the ball. The majority of buildup plays go directly through him and Ilkay Gundogan. The two complement each other greatly in the middle of the park, as Kimmich provides intensity and defensive awareness while Gundogan has proven to be a creative mind. -- Constantin Eckner
Illustration by ESPN
14. Federico Valverde
Country: Uruguay
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 24
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Few players have improved so much, so fast as Valverde in the past year. Now one of Real Madrid's key attacking players, he is consequently a star-in-waiting for Uruguay at this tournament. One question mark is exactly what position he will adopt: He has tended to operate more centrally for his country than the right-wing role that has already brought him eight goals for Madrid this season. -- Alex Kirkland
13. Son Heung-Min
Country: South Korea
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 37
South Korea have a deeper talent pool than in recent years, but Son remains the country's superstar, carrying a nation's hopes on his shoulders. So in that context, news that the Tottenham forward required surgery on a fractured eye socket less than three weeks before the tournament began was just about the biggest scare South Korea could endure. They face a tough group with Uruguay, Portugal and Ghana to play, and they will surely need Son back at his best to progress. -- James Olley
12. Virgil van Dijk
Country: Netherlands
Club: Liverpool
Age: 31
Position: Defender
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Van Dijk has had a mixed club season so far. Great performances against Man City and Napoli were combined with matches where he was rightfully criticised for his performances. Along the way he also lost his amazing unbeaten record at Anfield, but whatever happens, Van Dijk is and will be throughout this tournament the undisputed leader of the Dutch national team. -- Max Toemen
11. Harry Kane
Country: England
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 29
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 5
Kane is quite simply England's talisman and could become his country's all-time record goal scorer in Qatar (currently on 51, two behind Wayne Rooney). He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and will have designs on doing the same again as part of a Three Lions side that was fourth in that tournament, second at Euro 2020 and eyeing the biggest prize of all this month. The problem is, England have struggled for goals of late in a six-match winless run, and Kane has not scored an international goal from open play since November 2021. -- James Olley
10. Sadio Mane
Country: Senegal
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 31
The Bayern Munich forward is arguably Africa's leading player, edging out his old Liverpool teammate and Egypt star Mohamed Salah for that distinction, and Mane's performances for Senegal more than back up his claims to be regarded as his continent's most important player.
The 2022 African Player of the Year struck the winning spot kick in this year's Africa Cup of Nations final penalty shootout against Salah's Egypt and he became his country's all-time leading goal scorer with 32, eclipsing the previous record of Henri Camara, in June. Having been named as the player of the tournament at the Cup of Nations, Mane then delivered for Senegal again by sending his team to the World Cup, scoring the decisive penalty once again in the playoff against Egypt. -- Mark Ogden
9. Thibaut Courtois
Country: Belgium
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
2018 Rank: 43
A year ago, Courtois felt underrated and underappreciated, overshadowed by high-profile Premier League counterparts like Alisson and Ederson. Not anymore. An all-time great, man-of-the-match goalkeeping performance in Real Madrid's Champions League final win over Liverpool in May -- making a record nine saves -- was followed by a seventh-place finish on the 2022 Ballon d'Or shortlist.
The Belgium stopper is widely recognised as the best in the world right now and he'll have the opportunity to prove that in Qatar. Some of Belgium's veteran outfield players such as club teammate Eden Hazard might be past their best, but Courtois, at 30, is at the top of his game. -- Alex Kirkland
Illustration by ESPN
8. Vinicius Junior
Country: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 22
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
The young winger has exploded as an international star with Real Madrid, that extraordinary acceleration sowing panic in opposing defences. In contrast with Raphinha on the Selecao's opposite flank, Vinicius has taken time to find his feet with the national team, with one goal from 16 games, and his place in the starting lineup by no means a given.
Brazil have three slight variations in their formation. Vinicius appears in two, but not in the one that looks most likely in the tough games, where Lucas Paqueta operates as a withdrawn left winger. Even so, he still has a huge part to play in the tournament, if only off the bench. He will hope that by the end of the competition he will have made himself undroppable. -- Tim Vickery
7. Luka Modric
Country: Croatia
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 37
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 13
What else is there to say about Modric? Croatia's record appearance holder -- with 154 caps since he made his debut in 2006 -- and arguably greatest ever player will be turning out for his eighth major international tournament in Qatar. Modric was key to Croatia's surprise run to the 2018 World Cup final and at 37, his level hasn't dropped a bit, starring in last season's LaLiga and Champions League-winning campaign for Real Madrid.
A midfield of Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic is a formidable unit and Croatia's chances of coming anywhere close to repeating their heroics last time out will rest on the trio's shoulders. You would say that this will surely be his international swansong, but with Modric, you never know. -- Alex Kirkland
6. Neymar
Country: Brazil
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 3
The pressure will be immense on Brazil's No. 10, who may well overtake Pele as Brazil's all-time top scorer during the tournament. He trails well behind Pele in terms of achievement, though, and this will be the World Cup where he is expected to put that right.
Neymar says this will be his last World Cup, and it will certainly be the tournament that defines his legacy as a national team player.
He benefits from the emergence of a highly promising generation of young attackers, which will take some of the load off his slender shoulders. The timing of the tournament also works to his advantage. He has tended to be at his best in the first half of the season, and there would seem to be no problems about his form and fitness as he marches towards his date with destiny. -- Tim Vickery
5. Robert Lewandowski
Country: Poland
Club: Barcelona
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 10
There will be few nations in Qatar whose hopes are pinned so much on one player. That's not to say Poland do not have other good players, but the reality is none are close to Lewandowski's level.
Now 34, the striker has seamlessly translated his form with Bayern Munich to Barcelona, where he has already scored 18 goals this season after being signed for €45 million in the summer. Now, his task is to lead Poland out of the group stage for the first time since 1986. A record of 76 goals in 134 caps proves his form carries into international football, but as a forward he is always, to an extent, reliant on the service he gets. Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina will all have him singled out as the man to stop when they take on Poland. -- Sam Marsden
4. Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 35
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 1
This is likely his last World Cup and he'll arrive in Doha while playing, at 35, some of the best football of his recent career. Messi is obviously critical to Argentina's success, but, relative to the last World Cup, things are different. Coach Lionel Scaloni has made him the key cog in a well-oiled machine, capable of going 34 games unbeaten. It's a stark contrast to the last World Cup, when he was expected to carry the side amid coach Jorge Sampaoli's chaos.
Messi doesn't run like he did, but the trickery and the ability to find space remains. And his trademark move, when he starts wide right, cuts inside and whips a low, hard finish past the keeper, remains close to unplayable. The Copa America victory in 2021 got the "major international tournament" monkey off his back. Now it's time for the one crown that has always eluded him. -- Gab Marcotti
play
0:38
Laurens likes Argentina & Messi's chances of World Cup glory
Gab & Juls preview Group C at the 2022 World Cup, with Argentina expected to cruise into the knockout rounds.
3. Kevin De Bruyne
Country: Belgium
Club: Manchester City
Age: 31
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 4
After Belgium's 2-1 win over Wales in September, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez was asked about De Bruyne. Sometimes managers prefer to focus on the collective, rather than the individual, but when it comes to De Bruyne, his ability is so remarkable and abundantly clear, that there's little point in holding back on celebrating his talents.
"It's a message for all our fans, don't take for granted watching Kevin De Bruyne play," Martinez said. "For me he's the most incredible playmaker in world football at this present time."
At Manchester City, Guardiola has recently challenged De Bruyne to improve. A week after Guardiola's ask, the player responded by scoring their winner against Leicester City, to sit alongside his Premier League-leading nine assists this term. He's indispensable for club and country, and his ranking of third in the last Ballon d'Or was the highest spot ever reached by a Belgian player. If the Red Devils make a dent in this year's tournament, then you can bet your house on the fact De Bruyne will be on song. -- Tom Hamilton
2. Karim Benzema
Country: France
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Benzema, at the age of 34, has had to wait eight and a half years to feature again in the World Cup. He wants to make up for lost time.
After all that time away from the national team, he came back with a bang at the Euros in 2021 with four goals in four appearances, but the last 16 elimination left a sour taste in his mouth. Now, after winning the 2022 Ballon d'Or, he is ready to make this World Cup count. It is likely to be his last one, so this marks his biggest opportunity to write his name in the competition's history books.
Benzema is ultra motivated and he knows that his partnership with Kylian Mbappe up front is the key to France's success. They get on well and complement one another on the pitch. Benzema is a role model for Mbappe, and together, they are ready to lead France. -- Julien Laurens
1. Kylian Mbappe
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 23
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 15
Russia 2018 was the World Cup where Mbappe truly announced his arrival. He was 19, up and coming, still not necessarily known worldwide, and he took the competition by storm to become the first teenager since Pele to score in the final and to win it. Qatar 2022 will be the World Cup confirmation for the French prodigy; confirmation of his world-class status, of his superstar image, of his superstar talent.
There will be more pressure, the expectations will be higher and his role with France will be bigger. On the pitch, the 23-year-old has to redeem himself after not scoring a single goal for Les Bleus since missing the decisive penalty in the last 16 shootout defeat to Switzerland in the 2021 Euros some 18 months ago. Now he has to deliver, like he did in 2018. -- Julien Laurens
15. Joshua Kimmich
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 27
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
He is the heart and lung of Germany's midfield. Kimmich rarely breaks under pressure, which makes him hard to separate from the ball. The majority of buildup plays go directly through him and Ilkay Gundogan. The two complement each other greatly in the middle of the park, as Kimmich provides intensity and defensive awareness while Gundogan has proven to be a creative mind. -- Constantin Eckner
Illustration by ESPN
14. Federico Valverde
Country: Uruguay
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 24
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Few players have improved so much, so fast as Valverde in the past year. Now one of Real Madrid's key attacking players, he is consequently a star-in-waiting for Uruguay at this tournament. One question mark is exactly what position he will adopt: He has tended to operate more centrally for his country than the right-wing role that has already brought him eight goals for Madrid this season. -- Alex Kirkland
13. Son Heung-Min
Country: South Korea
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 37
South Korea have a deeper talent pool than in recent years, but Son remains the country's superstar, carrying a nation's hopes on his shoulders. So in that context, news that the Tottenham forward required surgery on a fractured eye socket less than three weeks before the tournament began was just about the biggest scare South Korea could endure. They face a tough group with Uruguay, Portugal and Ghana to play, and they will surely need Son back at his best to progress. -- James Olley
12. Virgil van Dijk
Country: Netherlands
Club: Liverpool
Age: 31
Position: Defender
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Van Dijk has had a mixed club season so far. Great performances against Man City and Napoli were combined with matches where he was rightfully criticised for his performances. Along the way he also lost his amazing unbeaten record at Anfield, but whatever happens, Van Dijk is and will be throughout this tournament the undisputed leader of the Dutch national team. -- Max Toemen
11. Harry Kane
Country: England
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 29
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 5
Kane is quite simply England's talisman and could become his country's all-time record goal scorer in Qatar (currently on 51, two behind Wayne Rooney). He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and will have designs on doing the same again as part of a Three Lions side that was fourth in that tournament, second at Euro 2020 and eyeing the biggest prize of all this month. The problem is, England have struggled for goals of late in a six-match winless run, and Kane has not scored an international goal from open play since November 2021. -- James Olley
10. Sadio Mane
Country: Senegal
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 31
The Bayern Munich forward is arguably Africa's leading player, edging out his old Liverpool teammate and Egypt star Mohamed Salah for that distinction, and Mane's performances for Senegal more than back up his claims to be regarded as his continent's most important player.
The 2022 African Player of the Year struck the winning spot kick in this year's Africa Cup of Nations final penalty shootout against Salah's Egypt and he became his country's all-time leading goal scorer with 32, eclipsing the previous record of Henri Camara, in June. Having been named as the player of the tournament at the Cup of Nations, Mane then delivered for Senegal again by sending his team to the World Cup, scoring the decisive penalty once again in the playoff against Egypt. -- Mark Ogden
9. Thibaut Courtois
Country: Belgium
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
2018 Rank: 43
A year ago, Courtois felt underrated and underappreciated, overshadowed by high-profile Premier League counterparts like Alisson and Ederson. Not anymore. An all-time great, man-of-the-match goalkeeping performance in Real Madrid's Champions League final win over Liverpool in May -- making a record nine saves -- was followed by a seventh-place finish on the 2022 Ballon d'Or shortlist.
The Belgium stopper is widely recognised as the best in the world right now and he'll have the opportunity to prove that in Qatar. Some of Belgium's veteran outfield players such as club teammate Eden Hazard might be past their best, but Courtois, at 30, is at the top of his game. -- Alex Kirkland
Illustration by ESPN
8. Vinicius Junior
Country: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 22
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
The young winger has exploded as an international star with Real Madrid, that extraordinary acceleration sowing panic in opposing defences. In contrast with Raphinha on the Selecao's opposite flank, Vinicius has taken time to find his feet with the national team, with one goal from 16 games, and his place in the starting lineup by no means a given.
Brazil have three slight variations in their formation. Vinicius appears in two, but not in the one that looks most likely in the tough games, where Lucas Paqueta operates as a withdrawn left winger. Even so, he still has a huge part to play in the tournament, if only off the bench. He will hope that by the end of the competition he will have made himself undroppable. -- Tim Vickery
7. Luka Modric
Country: Croatia
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 37
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 13
What else is there to say about Modric? Croatia's record appearance holder -- with 154 caps since he made his debut in 2006 -- and arguably greatest ever player will be turning out for his eighth major international tournament in Qatar. Modric was key to Croatia's surprise run to the 2018 World Cup final and at 37, his level hasn't dropped a bit, starring in last season's LaLiga and Champions League-winning campaign for Real Madrid.
A midfield of Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic is a formidable unit and Croatia's chances of coming anywhere close to repeating their heroics last time out will rest on the trio's shoulders. You would say that this will surely be his international swansong, but with Modric, you never know. -- Alex Kirkland
6. Neymar
Country: Brazil
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 3
The pressure will be immense on Brazil's No. 10, who may well overtake Pele as Brazil's all-time top scorer during the tournament. He trails well behind Pele in terms of achievement, though, and this will be the World Cup where he is expected to put that right.
Neymar says this will be his last World Cup, and it will certainly be the tournament that defines his legacy as a national team player.
He benefits from the emergence of a highly promising generation of young attackers, which will take some of the load off his slender shoulders. The timing of the tournament also works to his advantage. He has tended to be at his best in the first half of the season, and there would seem to be no problems about his form and fitness as he marches towards his date with destiny. -- Tim Vickery
5. Robert Lewandowski
Country: Poland
Club: Barcelona
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 10
There will be few nations in Qatar whose hopes are pinned so much on one player. That's not to say Poland do not have other good players, but the reality is none are close to Lewandowski's level.
Now 34, the striker has seamlessly translated his form with Bayern Munich to Barcelona, where he has already scored 18 goals this season after being signed for €45 million in the summer. Now, his task is to lead Poland out of the group stage for the first time since 1986. A record of 76 goals in 134 caps proves his form carries into international football, but as a forward he is always, to an extent, reliant on the service he gets. Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina will all have him singled out as the man to stop when they take on Poland. -- Sam Marsden
4. Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 35
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 1
This is likely his last World Cup and he'll arrive in Doha while playing, at 35, some of the best football of his recent career. Messi is obviously critical to Argentina's success, but, relative to the last World Cup, things are different. Coach Lionel Scaloni has made him the key cog in a well-oiled machine, capable of going 34 games unbeaten. It's a stark contrast to the last World Cup, when he was expected to carry the side amid coach Jorge Sampaoli's chaos.
Messi doesn't run like he did, but the trickery and the ability to find space remains. And his trademark move, when he starts wide right, cuts inside and whips a low, hard finish past the keeper, remains close to unplayable. The Copa America victory in 2021 got the "major international tournament" monkey off his back. Now it's time for the one crown that has always eluded him. -- Gab Marcotti
play
0:38
Laurens likes Argentina & Messi's chances of World Cup glory
Gab & Juls preview Group C at the 2022 World Cup, with Argentina expected to cruise into the knockout rounds.
3. Kevin De Bruyne
Country: Belgium
Club: Manchester City
Age: 31
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 4
After Belgium's 2-1 win over Wales in September, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez was asked about De Bruyne. Sometimes managers prefer to focus on the collective, rather than the individual, but when it comes to De Bruyne, his ability is so remarkable and abundantly clear, that there's little point in holding back on celebrating his talents.
"It's a message for all our fans, don't take for granted watching Kevin De Bruyne play," Martinez said. "For me he's the most incredible playmaker in world football at this present time."
At Manchester City, Guardiola has recently challenged De Bruyne to improve. A week after Guardiola's ask, the player responded by scoring their winner against Leicester City, to sit alongside his Premier League-leading nine assists this term. He's indispensable for club and country, and his ranking of third in the last Ballon d'Or was the highest spot ever reached by a Belgian player. If the Red Devils make a dent in this year's tournament, then you can bet your house on the fact De Bruyne will be on song. -- Tom Hamilton
2. Karim Benzema
Country: France
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Benzema, at the age of 34, has had to wait eight and a half years to feature again in the World Cup. He wants to make up for lost time.
After all that time away from the national team, he came back with a bang at the Euros in 2021 with four goals in four appearances, but the last 16 elimination left a sour taste in his mouth. Now, after winning the 2022 Ballon d'Or, he is ready to make this World Cup count. It is likely to be his last one, so this marks his biggest opportunity to write his name in the competition's history books.
Benzema is ultra motivated and he knows that his partnership with Kylian Mbappe up front is the key to France's success. They get on well and complement one another on the pitch. Benzema is a role model for Mbappe, and together, they are ready to lead France. -- Julien Laurens
1. Kylian Mbappe
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 23
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 15
Russia 2018 was the World Cup where Mbappe truly announced his arrival. He was 19, up and coming, still not necessarily known worldwide, and he took the competition by storm to become the first teenager since Pele to score in the final and to win it. Qatar 2022 will be the World Cup confirmation for the French prodigy; confirmation of his world-class status, of his superstar image, of his superstar talent.
There will be more pressure, the expectations will be higher and his role with France will be bigger. On the pitch, the 23-year-old has to redeem himself after not scoring a single goal for Les Bleus since missing the decisive penalty in the last 16 shootout defeat to Switzerland in the 2021 Euros some 18 months ago. Now he has to deliver, like he did in 2018. -- Julien Laurens
